Coffee vs. Tea: Is One Healthier Than the Other?

It’s been an ongoing and long debate on which type of drink is healthier, is it coffee or tea? Let put an end tot hat debate with a research we found summarizing all the benefits, and effects coffee and tea has on a person. On a personal note though, no matter the outcome, our cup of joe will always be our number one. Read on and let us know what you think!

Caffeine

Caffeine is the most studied and consumed stimulant in the world (2, 3).

Present in many common beverages, including coffee and tea, it’s known for both its beneficial and adverse effects on human health.

While the caffeine content can vary depending on brewing time, serving size, or preparation method, coffee can easily pack twice the caffeine as an equal serving of tea.

Though scientists have primarily focused on coffee when researching the positive effects of caffeine, both drinks — despite containing differing amounts of this substance — can provide its associated health benefits.

Caffeine works as a powerful stimulant for your central nervous system, which is why it’s considered a performance-enhancing substance in sports (10, 11, 12).

One review of 40 studies determined that caffeine intake improved endurance exercise outcomes by 12%, compared with a placebo (13).

As for caffeine’s effect on mental alertness, research shows that it improves performance in both simple and complex tasks (14, 15).

A study in 48 people who were given a drink containing either 75 or 150 mg of caffeine revealed improvements in reaction times, memory, and information processing, compared with the control group (16).

Caffeine is a powerful stimulant that has been associated with protective effects against some chronic diseases. Coffee contains more caffeine per serving than black tea, but both beverages may provide its associated benefits.

Antioxidants

Antioxidants protect your body against free radical damage, which may help prevent the development of certain chronic diseases (25).

Both tea and coffee are loaded with antioxidants, primarily polyphenols, which contribute to their characteristic flavor and health-promoting properties (26, 27, 28, 29).

A recent test-tube study discovered that theaflavins and thearubigins inhibited the growth of lung and colon cancer cells and ultimately killed them (32).

Long-term studies in humans and further research that has analyzed larger pools of evidence show that coffee and tea may also protect against other kinds of cancers, such as breast, colon, bladder, and rectum cancer (36, 37, 38, 39, 40).

Aside from their antioxidant activities, polyphenols have been linked to a reduced rate of heart disease (41).

They contribute to heart health via various blood-vessel-protective mechanisms, including (42, 43, 44):

Vasodilating factor. They promote blood vessel relaxation, which helps in cases of high blood pressure.

Anti-angiogenic effect. They block the formation of new blood vessels that may feed cancer cells.

A 10-year study in 74,961 healthy people determined that drinking 4 cups (960 ml) or more of black tea per day was associated with a 21% lower risk of stroke, compared with non-drinkers (45).

Another 10-year study in 34,670 healthy women showed that drinking 5 cups (1.2 liters) or more of coffee per day lowered the risk of stroke by 23%, compared with non-drinkers (46).

Both coffee and tea contain different types of polyphenols, which are powerful antioxidants that protect against heart disease and cancer. Both coffee and tea can give you an energy boost — but in different ways.

Energy

Coffee’s energy-boosting effect

The caffeine in coffee elevates your energy levels.

Dopamine is the chemical messenger responsible for the jittery effect of coffee, as it increases your heart rate. It also affects your brain’s reward system, which adds to coffee’s addictive properties.

On the other hand, adenosine has a sleep-promoting effect. Thus, by blocking it, caffeine reduces your feelings of tiredness.

Once ingested, your body absorbs 99% of its caffeine within 45 minutes, but peak blood concentrations appear as early as 15 minutes after ingestion (48).

This is why many people prefer a cup of coffee when they need an immediate energy boost.

Tea’s effect on energy

Though tea is lower in caffeine, it’s rich in L-theanine, a powerful antioxidant that also stimulates your brain (49, 50).

Unlike caffeine, L-theanine may provide anti-stress effects by increasing your brain’s alpha waves, which help you calm down and relax (51).

This counteracts the arousing effect of caffeine and gives you a relaxed but alert mental state without feeling drowsy.

Both coffee and tea increase your energy levels. However, coffee gives you an instant kick, while tea offers a smooth boost.

Weightloss

Caffeine may increase the number of calories you burn by 3–13%, and maintain this effect for 3 hours after intake, translating into an extra 79–150 calories burned (54, 55, 56, 57).

Coffee has also been associated with fat-burning properties by inhibiting the production of fat cells. Some studies have attributed this effect to its chlorogenic acid content (58, 59).

On the other hand, tea polyphenols like theaflavin also seem to contribute to weight loss.

Theaflavins reportedly inhibit pancreatic lipase, an enzyme that plays a key role in fat metabolism (62).

Black tea polyphenols also seem to alter the diversity of your gut microbiota, or healthy bacteria in your intestines, which may impact weight management.

However, further human research is needed to confirm these results. The caffeine in coffee and polyphenols in tea may help you lose weight, but more human studies are needed to confirm these effects.

Side Effects

Though coffee has been associated with multiple side effects, such as heart failure, increased heart rate, and high blood pressure, research shows that moderate consumption is safe (66).

Other health claims attributed to coffee include protection against Parkinson’s disease and a lowered risk of type 2 diabetes and liver cirrhosis. On the other hand, tea may protect against cavities, kidney stones, and arthritis (1).

Coffee has a higher caffeine content than tea, which may be good for those looking for an instant energy fix. However, it may cause anxiety and impaired sleep in sensitive people (8).

Moreover, you can go for a decaf option of either beverage or choose herbal tea, which is naturally caffeine-free. While they won’t provide the same benefits, they may offer benefits of their own (68).

Coffee and tea offer similar health benefits, including weight loss, anticancer, and energy-boosting properties. Still, you may want to choose one over the other depending on your caffeine sensitivity.